Signal system.



No. 731,320. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

v 0. WHITE.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

-APILIOA'IION FILED FEB, 2, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

him/55 5 (*5 I UNITED STATES Patented January 31, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

oLAUDE WHiTE, OF sT. LOUIS, MISSOURI, nssienoa OE ONE-HALF To CHARLES T. NOLAND, on 81. Louis, MISSOURI.

SIGNAL SYSTEM.

PECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 781,320, dated January 31, 1905. Application filed February 2. 1904. Serial No. 191.764.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CLAUDE WHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Systems, of which the following is aspecification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference. being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improved signal systems, my object being-to provide an effective signal system whereby signals may be conveyed to the trainmen on a running train between stations, and my improved signal system comprises two series of lights arranged along a railway and directed within the plane of vision of the trainmen, said lights being normally out of operation, each station being independently connected with the next station in both directions and the color of one series of lights contrasting with the other series of lights, and means of illuminating said lights for the purpose of signaling the trainmen.

In. thedrawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a signal system embodying'the prin- Fig. 2 is a view in motive and a signal-light directed in the cab of the locomotive within the plane of vision of the engineer and other trainmen. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the light and posts.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the stations 4 and 5 are conveniently located relative to the railway 6, the station 4 being independently connected to the next station 5 up the track by the wires 7 and 8 and said station 4 be ing independently connected to thenext station down thetrack by the wires 9 and 10. The station 5, as before suggested, is connected to the next station 4 down-the track by the wires 7 and 8, and said station 5 is independently connected to the next station up the track by the wires 11 and 12. The wires 7 and 8 connect the lights 13 and 14 in thestation 4 to the lights 15 and 16 in the station 5. The wires 9 and 10 connect the lights 17 and 18 of the station 4 to similar lights in the next station down the track, and the wires 11 and 12 connect the lights 19 and 20 in the station 5 to similar lights in the next station up the railway. y

The generator 21 may belong to any light or power plant of the town in which the station 4 is located, said generator being connected in the station 4 to the switches 22 and 23 and to the switches 24 and 25, said switches in turn being connected to the wires 7, 8, 9, i

prefer to mount two lights of contrasting color in a single fixture and connect said lights, so that either color may be indicated as desired.

A'- semi-oval shell 31 is connected to the posts 30 by the brackets 32. A base 33 is fixed in the apex of the shell 31, the light-fixtures34 and 35 being attached to this base 33 and the wires 7 and 8 running through said base to and from the fixtures 34 and 35. A reflector 36 is placed in the shell 31', and the bulbs 37 and 38 areconnected to the fixtures 34 and 35 and located within the reflector 36. Aheavy concavo-convexglass plate 39 is placed in the open end of the shell 31 and the edge 40 of said shell turned over to hold the plate in position. The bulb 37 maybe adapted to give off a red light, and the bulb '38 may be adapted to give off a white light, or any other suitable contrasting colors may be used, so that when the wire 7 is energized one color will be indicated and when the wire 8 is energized a difl'erent color will be shown. The lightfixture is mounted upon the posts 30 on a level with the windows 41 of the cab of the locomotive, and said fixture is adapted to produce a concentrated shaft 42 of light, said shaft being directed in a horizontal plane across the path of the locomotive and on a level to strike the eyesof the engineer and fireman and to pass through the windows ofthe coaches and attract the attention of the passengers and other trainmen. Each light is grounded, and the line-wires to which they are attached are normally without energy.

Suppose that a train is between the stations 4 and 5 and it is desired to convey information to the trainmen on said train. The operator at the station 4 may throw the switch 25, thus energizing the Wire 7 and illuminating the red light 87, and said light will throw red shafts of light across the path of the locomotive and attract the attention of the trainmen. A code of signals may be arranged by which any desired information may be conveyed to the trainmen either by the use of the red lights or by the use of the red and White lights in any understandable relation, the White light being controlled by the switch 23. If the operator at the station 5 desires to signal the train, he will use the switches 26 and 28. If the train is approaching the station 4 from down the track, the switches 22 and 24: will be used, and if the train is up the track beyond the station 5 the switches 27 and 29 will be used. Ordinarily the red lights will be used to stop the trains, and the white lights will be used to indicate that the track is clear and that the train may proceed.

I claim In a signal system: a series of stations; each station being paired with each adjacent station; a series of posts arranged along the railway between the stations; two electric wires strung on the posts between each pair of stations; a light at each end of each wire; lights on the posts connected to the wires and grounded; and a generator at each station, so that the lights may be illuminated from either end; the lights on one wire being of a different color than the lights on the other wire; substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to .this specification in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE VHITE. Witnesses:

ALFRED A. EIoKs, M. G. IRIoN. 

